Accessory for portable electronic devices

ABSTRACT

An insert accessory for a portable electronic device that allows a user to hold an electronic device configured with the insert accessory using only a finger and the palm of the hand in order to free up use of user&#39;s thumb in order to interact with the portable electronic device using only one hand. The insert accessory is adhered to the back surface of a portable electronic device and has a movable finger sized tab that rotates sufficiently to allow a finger to pass through the tab and enable the user to hold the portable electronic device without the use of his or her thumb. Once so held, the user then has the freedom to operate the controls the portable electronic device with the thumb of the same hand that is holding the portable electronic device. The tab can be easily accessed by gently pressing an edge of the insert accessory to reveal the top edge of the tab for lifting the tab up.

PRIORITY CLAIM AND CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/019,511, filed Jul. 1, 2014, by Michael G. Senoff, the complete text of which is included by reference herein

Also, the present application is related to U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20130277992, published Oct. 24, 2013, by Michael G. Senoff, the complete text of which is included by reference herein.

The present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the detailed description of this application in connection with the subject matter of both these patent applications.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to accessories for portable electronic devices. The present invention is more particularly though not exclusively directed to a device allowing a user to hold a portable electronic device without the use of his or her thumb and also without the product dropping or slipping from the user's hands. The present invention provides the ability to easily access and use the device for both the purposes of securely holding a portable device, and operating it with the same hand.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Over the past few decades, the use of portable electronic products has become increasingly common. Indeed, these devices are so common that it is not unusual for a person to use their personal electronic device while doing other activities. Unfortunately, most personal electronic devices require the use of two hands, thus making it difficult to use the electronic device while doing things that require use of one or more hands.

These previously available devices are insufficient and do not address the desire for singe-handed operation of the device, because there is no secure manner by which the user may grip the device while simultaneously allowing the thumb of the same hand to interact with the device. As a result, anyone using a cell phone, electronic game counsel, or music player, must use both hands to securely operate the device; one to hold the device, and another to actuate the controls on the device. To the extent any prior art has attempted to address this specific concern, the prior art failed to provide a design that is robust, easy and affordable to manufacture, and slim in profile to facilitate storage.

The insert accessory, as described in U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20130277992, provides a design that is robust, easy and affordable to manufacture, and slim in profile to facilitate storage which allows the user to securely grip the device with one hand while simultaneously allowing the thumb of the same hand to interact with the device. However, the tab of the insert accessory, which allows the user to insert a finger and hold the device using the finger and the palm of the hand, can be at times difficult to lift and rotate to bring to a position where the finger can be inserted in it.

In light of the above, it would be advantageous to provide a method and a system to easily access the tab of the insert accessory which should be easy to manufacture, yet quick, easy and robust when used by the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention allows a user to easily access the tab of the insert accessory to quickly lift and rotate the tab so that the user can hold an electronic device configured with the insert accessory using a single finger and the palm of the hand, freeing the thumb to interact with the portable electronic device using only one hand.

All the advantages and features of the present invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. These advantages and features of the present invention will be more readily apparent when considered in reference to the following description and when taken in conjunction with the drawings below.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front isometric view of the accessory for portable electronic devices depicting the moveable tab in stowed position, flush with thin body of the accessory for portable electronic devices;

FIG. 2 is a front isometric view of the accessory for portable electronic devices with tab rotated away and extended from the thin body, allowing insertion of a finger;

FIG. 3 is a back isometric view of the accessory for portable electronic devices with a cut-out portion; and

FIG. 4 is a front isometric view of the accessory for portable electronic devices with the front surface moving down in the cut-out due to a pressure applied by a finger of an user and providing easy access to the top edge of the moveable tab by revealing a side of the top edge of the moveable tab to the user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As to more detailed descriptions of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an accessory for portable electronic devices 100 comprises a thin body, or base, 102 with a front surface 104, a back surface 106, a thickness 108 and a perimeter shape 110. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the perimeter shape 110 can be of any shape, including but not limited to square, rectangular, circular, oval or any other shape, not exceeding the perimeter dimensions of any portable electronic device. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the perimeter shape 110 would be circular.

The thin body 102 has an outer cut 120 and an inner cut 130 wherein the outer cut 120 and inner cut 130 pass through the thin body 102 from the front surface 104 to the back surface 106. The outer cut 120 has an outer cut profile 122 with an outer cut profile first end 124 and an outer cut profile second end 126. The outer cut profile 122, shown in FIG. 2, extends from the outer cut profile first end 124 to the outer cut profile second end 126.

The inner cut 130 has an inner cut profile 132 with an inner cut profile first end 134 and an inner cut profile second end 136. The inner cut profile 132 extends from the inner cut profile first end 134 to the inner cut profile second end 136.

The outer cut profile 122 is situated with respect to the inner cut profile 132 to ensure that a minimum cut distance 150 is maintained between the outer cut profile 122 and the inner cut profile 132.

The thin body 102 has a folding axis 140, shown in dashed lines where it passes through thin body 102. The outer cut profile first end 124, the outer cut profile second end 126, the inner cut profile first end 134 and the inner cut profile second end 136 are each located along the folding axis 140 in such a manner to create a first fold line 160 and a second fold line 162, both shown in dotted lines. The first fold line 160 runs along the folding axis 140 between the outer cut profile first end 124 and the inner cut profile first end 134. The second fold line 162 runs along the folding axis 140 between the outer cut profile second end 126 and the inner cut profile second end 136.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the outer cut profile 122, the inner cut profile 132, the first fold line 160 and the second fold line 162 enclose a front area 170 on the front surface 104 and a back area 172 on the back surface 106 of a moveable tab 180. The front area 170 and back area 172 and thickness 108 create the moveable tab 180 that can be rotated away from the plane of the front surface 104 of the thin body 102 in a first rotational direction 194. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the shape of the moveable tab 180 can be any shape, including but not limited to square, rectangular, circular, oval or any other shape. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the moveable tab 180 would be semi-circular.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the accessory for portable electronic devices 100 also comprises an adhesive layer 300 with a first adhesive surface and a second adhesive surface. The first adhesive surface is adhered to the back surface 106 and the second adhesive surface is adhered to the portable electronic device. The adhesive layer 300 has a partial cut-out pattern 310 of thickness T 312 in a semi-circular pattern, as per a preferred embodiment of the present invention, above the top edge of the moveable tab 180, away from the fold lines 160 and 162, as shown in FIG. 3. The front surface 104 will be smooth and will hide the cut-out on the back surface 106. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the shape of the partial cut-out pattern 310 can be any shape, including but not limited to square, rectangular, circular, oval or any other shape.

Further, even though it has been illustrated in FIG. 3 that the edge 314 of the partial cut-out pattern 310 on the adhesive layer 300 does not extend up to the top edge of the moveable tab 180 on the front surface 104, it will be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art that the edge 314 of the partial cut-out pattern 310 on the back surface 106 may extend up to and even beyond the top edge of the moveable tab 180 on the front surface 104 as per alternate embodiments of the present invention without affecting the intended result of exposing the top edge of the moveable tab 180 for facilitating easy access by the user to lift and rotate the moveable tab 180.

Now, as shown in FIG. 4, when the user presses gently along the downward direction 410 on the front surface 104, above the partial cut-out pattern 310, the front surface 104 will move down due to the partial cut-out pattern 310 on the adhesive layer 300. This movement of the front surface 104 near the top edge of the moveable tab 180 will expose the side 414 of the top edge of the moveable tab 180 by a thickness T″ 412 to the user for easy access, thus allowing the user to easily lift the moveable tab 180 and rotate in the first rotational direction 194 to allow the user to be able to insert a finger in the moveable tab 180.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the objects of the present invention have been achieved by providing the above system and method. Various modifications to the above described invention will be readily apparent to the persons skilled in the art and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments described, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the terminology of the above description and the legal equivalents thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An accessory for a portable electronic device, comprising: a base having a front surface and a back surface and formed with a movable tab that is positionable from a first position wherein said movable tab is co-planar with said base, and a second position wherein said movable tab extends at an angle from said front base, and wherein said movable tab is formed with an aperture to receive a portion of a user's finger; an adhesive layer, wherein said adhesive layer has a first adhesive surface and a second adhesive surface, and wherein said first adhesive surface is adhered to said back surface and said second adhesive surface is adhered to said portable electronic device; and a partial cut-out pattern, wherein said partial cut-out pattern is formed on said adhesive layer, and wherein said partial cut-out pattern facilitates easy access to said movable tab by allowing said base to move down due to a force applied by said user on said front surface of said base exposing an edge of said movable tab.
 2. The accessory for portable electronic devices of claim 1, wherein said partial cut-out pattern is formed with a “D” shape.
 3. The accessory for portable electronic devices of claim 1, wherein said partial cut-out pattern is formed with a “U” shape.
 4. The accessory for portable electronic devices of claim 1, wherein said partial cut-out pattern is formed with a shape resembling rectangle, circle, semi-circle or ellipse. 